


Frostbite

by kalpa



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Minor Violence, Mission Fic, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 13:05:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10361124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalpa/pseuds/kalpa
Summary: You go on a mission to Volskaya Industries with Zarya, but your find your feelings complicating things.----It's cold, but she makes you warm.





	

**Author's Note:**

> hey everyone! my wonderful friend, Maria, offered to do an art trade with me, and this was my part of the deal!  
> we were talking about how little zarya/reader content there is, and so I decided to write her this lil something.  
> there is some mild violence, but nothing too intense. there's also alcohol.  
> but other than that, nothing intense at all! especially compared to my other fics haha  
> if anyone would like to do an art trade with me, message me on my tumblr!  
> http://pathfindrryder.tumblr.com/  
> and also check out Maria, aka radz (Cuz shes rad <3)  
> http://radz.tumblr.com/  
> she's absolutely fantastic, and such a sweet person. she's also EXTREMELY talented at art. definitely go give her a follow!  
> so...  
> ENJOY~~~

Volskaya Industries...a great place for putting the saying “Freezing my ass off” to good use with its sub zero temperatures, and biting wind. Even wearing geothermal clothing designed by Mei didn’t spare you from the shivers that wracked your body, making you rub your hands together as you waited for Zarya to return.

After receiving reports of Talon activity, Overwatch had quickly sent you and the buff Russian to either confirm or deny the validity of the scouts words. You hadn’t worked with Zarya before in your time at Overwatch, due to how intimidating she was. Every time you mustered enough courage to compliment her in training, you’d turn the corner and see her bench pressing a 400 pound, sweat coating her skin as she breathed with practiced motions.

Her pink hair was always slick with her sweat, pushed back as she huffed as she worked the weight with ease. You’d watched her benchpress even greater weights, especially after Reinhardt challenged her. Needless to say, the older German man faked an injury to get out of the challenge after roughly ten minutes. And Zarya? 

She was never phased by a challenge, taking it in stride with a grin and flex of her muscles.

The thought of her smile made your face abruptly warm against the cold winds, and you shook your head, trying to disperse the mental images that plagued your mind. You were on a mission! You needed to stay focused, and watch your surroundings in case any Talon agents tried to flank behind you and put a bullet in your head. You also needed to survey the area to make sure no Talon agents were creeping up to where Zarya had disappeared to.

You cleared your throat, pulling out your sniper rifle in order to survey the area. You took a deep breath as you situated your weapon on a metal crate, peering through the scope. Even with that freezing temperatures and scalding wind, you felt yourself begin to become focused on the ground below you. 

Zarya had disappeared further into the industry roughly five minutes before then, and you’d insisted on joining her. 

“No worries, little human. I have trained for this, while you cannot even 100 push ups in a minute,” she’d told you. You had been flabbergasted and almost  _ insulted,  _ until she had patted your head with a smile. Then, she’d promptly disappeared into the flurries of snow. 

You shook your head again, leaning back from your sniper. You rubbed under your eyes, silently chastising yourself. You needed to get over whatever was making you get hung up over the Russian, and focus on the mission at hand. If Talon really was here, that could mean bloodshed. And the last thing Overwatch needed was a dead agent. 

“Get it together,” you told yourself, rolling your neck. There was a satisfying pop, and you took a deep breath, steadying your aim as you leaned back into your sniper. You peered through the scope, taking in the metal ground and the buildings that offered plenty of cover for agents.

There was a flash of movement to the side and you quickly adjusted your sight to trace its movements. But just as you located where the motion had occurred, a hand clasped itself on your back. You jolted, almost accidentally firing into the wall in shock. Without a second thought, you reached into your boot, pulling out your hidden dagger as you spun around, ready to cut some bitches throat when-

You caught the sight of bright pink hair, which made you freeze with a soft jolt to your heart. Zarya put up both hands in a surrendering motion, a large, cheeky grin on her face. “Whoa there, little human!” she said, and you felt that familiar heat rush to your cheeks as you lowered the knife in your hand. 

“Jesus,” you hissed, holstering the knife back into your boot. Your heart was beating fast with both adrenaline, and nerves. But with a soft huff, you reminded yourself that the two of you were on a mission, and you needed to get over whatever you felt around her. Zarya depended on you to protect her, and if you couldn’t do your job, it could result in her death.

And that was the  _ last  _ thing you wanted. 

No one else could pull of the pink hair as well as she did. 

You turned slightly, slinging your sniper over your shoulder as you turned to directly face the Russian. She stood tall, hands on her hips as her particle cannon lay on her back. How she managed to carry that thing like it were nothing never ceased in boggling your mind, but considering how often she worked out, you shouldn’t have been surprised. There was a smirk on her face. “Did I scare you?” she asked, and you let out a breathless laugh, watching your cold breath float up into the air.

“More like scared the shit out of me,” you sighed, trying to ignore the loud laugh that came from her. She playfully hit your back before resting her hand on your shoulder, something that made your very cold face suddenly immensely warm. 

“Do not worry. I have your back, little human,” she reassured you, and you considered being insulted by the new nickname she gave you. But with one look at her bright smile, you just let out a small laugh and shook your head.

“Alright,  _ comrade, _ ” you jested, looking back over to the area behind you. It all seemed clear over here, but whatever you thought you’d seen tugged at you. Were you seeing things? The cold often times did make your eyesight get weird. “Did you find anything suspicious?” you asked the pink haired woman.

She shook her head, taking a few steps beside you. Her hands on her hips, she surveyed the area with narrowed eyes, and thinned lips. You momentarily lost yourself in staring at her, observing her features under the winter sun. “Nothing besides dust,” she told you, and you nodded, licking your lips as you looked away.  You opened your mouth, ready to close the mission and return to the base when-

Something bright shone in your eye. The sun? No. You winced, closing your eyes in reflex to the bright light. Your hands instinctively rose to shield your face, when the light flickered again, lower this time. What…

You looked down to find the light, only to see a bright, red dot on your chest. Your breath caught in your throat, and you looked up to where you had seen the motion moments before. And of course...a sniper was there. Positioned with their sniper directed at you, the light shifted up, just over your heart.

Your breath caught in your throat, turning to try and drop down.

But it was too late.

There was the distinct, loud noise of a bullet being fired, and you dropped your weight on the ground, hopefully going too low for the sniper’s shot to hit you-

Your head hit the ground, something gripping your torso tight as you fell. A soft grunt came from you the world flashing brightly with stars in your vision as a ringing noise resounded in your ears. Fuck, that  _ hurt.  _

And that’s when you felt it-a sharp, stabbing pain in your right thigh. It was burning you, ripping you apart as you tried to sit up. A loud whimper came from you as you moved, and something was touching you, touching your waist. 

With a groan, you opened your eyes to see the metal wall of the building you must’ve fallen into. But that made no sense… You had stepped back, not jumped out of the way. Unless…

You spared a look behind you only to see Zarya getting up, pulling her particle cannon of her back with practiced ease and efficiency. Her back was turned towards you as she peeked outside the doorway she must have shoved you through. With a soft hiss, you pressed your palms against the floor, pushing up. 

A stupid move, but you weren’t thinking clearly. You fell back down with a groan, moving your hands not over the floor but over your thigh. Some wet and warm stained your palm, and your hand came back into your vision.

Blood.

Lots of it.

“Shit,” you said. 

With that, Zarya turned and looked back at you. Her eyes were focused, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. But once she saw you struggling, her eyes flickered from your face to your thigh, quickly seeing the puddle of blood pooling underneath you. Her expression changed upon seeing you injured, turning from focused to...angry? Her eyebrows turned downward, face morphing into a scowl as she muttered something in Russian under her breath. 

And then the particle cannon was back on her back, hands wrapping underneath your legs as she picked you up bridal style. The movement was quick, and jerky, shifting the bullet in your body. Another cry ripped itself from your throat as Zarya moved, yet she did not stop, not with the possibility of more agents arriving. 

The two of you had no idea how many agents were here. If there was just the sniper, then Zarya could handle herself if the sniper didn’t pin her down. It was already established the Talon agent was talented, talented enough to be sent on a recon mission alone. You hoped it was just the sniper, but even then, the situation wasn’t the best with you down. 

Zarya rushed down the stairs with you, trying her best not to hurt you. Such a task was impossible, however, and you found yourself hissing and cursing more often than not. “What does not kill you makes you stronger,” she reminded you, and you swallowed another yelp. Of course the world renowned athlete who had been through plenty of pain would say that.

“I’ll keep that in mind next time I get shot,” you said, and she nodded, seeming pleased with your response.

“Next time, do not get shot,” she suggested.

“Good idea,” you groaned as she gently set you down in the corner, making sure you were out of sight of the sniper. You leaned your head back against the cool wall, taking solace in the sudden coldness of the environment around you. The soft moan of the ocean wrapped itself around you, relaxing your muscles and body. 

“Will you be okay?” she asked you, and your eyes fluttered open at her voice. At the sight of your drowsiness, she gently tapped your cheeks, effectively waking you up. You didn’t know how much blood you were losing, but clearly with one glance from your Russian ally, it was enough to be worrying.

Without warning, she took hold of her heavy, geothermal coat and ripped a long, thick strip free of its stitchings. You opened your mouth, ready to apologize when Zarya gave you a long look. “Do not apologize. I have plenty of coats,” she assured you, before looking around the room. “I am Russian.” 

“I had no idea,” you teased, and she shot you a look over her shoulder as she got to her feet, quickly searching the room.

It was only a few moments until she chuckled, opening up one of the desk’s drawers and pulling out-

“Is that fucking vodka?” you hissed, and Zarya flashed you a mischievous smile, shrugging. 

“What can I say? My motherland has plenty of surprises,” she said before returning to your side, popping the cork. 

“I can agree with that. A sniper, and now-”

Zarya interrupted you, shoving the strip of cloth into your mouth. That way, you wouldn’t bite through your tongue. It was dry in your mouth, and you tried to focus on that and the cold air as Zarya tipped the bottle over and-

A loud scream ripped itself from your throat at the intense burn of the alcohol on the bullet wound, scalding your sensitive, raw skin. You didn’t worry about giving away your position, as it was rather obvious already. Neither did Zarya, as she loudly proclaimed facts about how her motherland made the best drinks, especially for their soldiers and recruits. You ignored her, a bit distracted.

After a generous amount was poured onto your skin and disinfected the wound, you felt the pink haired Russian pull the cloth out from your mouth and replace it with the cold bottle. Your eyes fluttered open at the taste of vodka in your mouth, probably squeezed shut during the intense pain. The familiar burn of the vodka on your throat was much more enjoyable than the burn on your skin. You greedily gulped down the liquid, enough to make Zarya chuckle as she pulled it away. “We’ll make a Russian out of you yet,” she joked as she wrapped the cloth around your thigh. The pressure on the wound earned another groan, but compared to what you had just gone through, it felt as though it were nothing. 

“I’m sorry,” you whispered as your ally tied a knot, securing the temporary bandage. At the sudden apology, she looked up at you, confused. You took a deep breath, looking back over at the icy water that surrounded the area. “I...I saw the sniper, but I didn’t think it was anything. I should’ve known better and now…” you stopped, closing your eyes to fight back the guilty tears in your eyes. Maybe it was because you were tired, or because you were in pain...but the weight in your chest was there, and it was heavy. 

Zarya could have been shot when she tried to save you, when she tackled you. She was a much bigger target than you, after all. You and your stupid crush on her could have gotten her killed, and it could kill you now.

Talk about a royal fuckup.

You wondered if she hated you now, and you couldn’t bear to open your eyes and look at her. So you didn’t...you merely sat there, listening to the wind and then-

Something soft pressed itself against your lips, and your eyes fluttered open, only to see Zarya’s face close and-

She was kissing you.

You sat there for a few moments, confused and shocked until she pulled away with a soft chuckle, eyes bright. The green in her eyes, was brilliant up close, beautiful as happiness sparked within them. Her hand came up and rubbed your cheek before patting it gently a few times. “Do not apologize. I would fight a Siberian bear if it meant saving you,” she said, and the sentence was so incredulous that you couldn’t help but let out a laugh. That grin came back on her face, something you thought was beyond gorgeous, a painting you knew no artist could do justice. You wondered if it was the fact you were in pain, or that you were tipsy that made you think that way.

But with one more glance, you decided it was more than just a haze blinding you. 

“Stay here, and do not die,” she told you, pressing one more chaste kiss to your cheek before standing up. The particle cannon was back in her grasp as she rolled neck, cracking a few joints. “For the motherland!” she declared, stepping out of the room. But she hesitated, casting one more look behind to you. “And you.”

You smiled, breathless from both the pain of your wound and from Zarya’s words. “Be careful,” you murmured, and she nodded, setting off to the find the stray sniper. It wasn’t long before you heard the familiar sounds of her grenade launcher hitting buildings, a sound of sheer power and terror. 

There was the occasional Russian callout, followed by her determined and, sometimes, maniacal laughter. It was only when it went silent did you worry, looking around the room Zarya had set you down in. There was no noise, not from her or the sniper. 

And in the battlefield, silence was never good. 

Gritting your teeth, you grabbed the doorframe leading out to the walkways beside the building you were in. Even moving made your wound burn, but if Zarya needed help, you couldn’t let the pain stop you. She wouldn’t stop for pain if it meant saving you or her allies, after all.

She would never stop if it meant protecting both people, and her country.

So how could you?

Standing was easy enough, but walking proved more a challenge. The blinding pain made you stumble and almost downright collapse when taking a step, making you resort to shaky limps as you gripped onto the desks around you. 

But you couldn’t let this stop you. 

Worried, you pressed a finger to the earpiece you wore. “Zarya? Come in… Zarya, you there?” 

Silence.

_ Fuck.  _

You took a deep breath, closing your eyes as you thought out your plan. The sniper was hiding across the courtyard, possibly higher up in ground. In a closed environment, Zarya would have to move quick in order to avoid getting hit. And if Zarya was distracting the sniper…

You opened our eyes. That would give you an opportunity to put them down.

Who knew one sniper could be such a pain in the ass? 

Your hand gripped the railings of the stairs in front of you so tightly your knuckles turned a stark white, the wound you had making you bite down on your lip. The taste of copper flooded your mouth as you dragged yourself up the stairs, trying to move your leg as little as possible. But there was little time to be safe. You needed to take out that sniper before they got Zarya.

Finally, you found yourself limping out the door, pulling your sniper off your back. It wasn’t heavy, but with little weight to support yourself, you found yourself stumbling. The snow on the ground bit through your pants as you fell onto your knees, unable to stand any longer.

And your worries were confirmed. The sniper was on top of the building just across the courtyard, focused on the rooms and bridgeway leading to it. A flash of pink hair confirmed that Zarya was, in fact, pinned, back against the wall to avoid getting shot.

You knew that if she moved, she would be dead. The sniper would put a bullet in her skull within a heartbeat.

And you couldn’t let that happen.

So without a second thought, you lifted your own weapon, peered through the scope and-

_ Bang. _

The sniper's body collapsed to the ground, a flash of red in the air before staining the snow beneath it. The gunshot echoed throughout the courtyard, ringing in your ears as you lowered your weapon with a breathless laugh. 

The flash of pink hair became more prominent as Zarya came out of cover, eyes searching for you as she peered out the windows the rooms. You raised your hand, waving to her with a tired smile. That same, bright grin brightened her face as she waved back, a loud, “Haha! Practice makes perfect!” heard over the comms.

Another breathless laugh came from your throat as you collapsed onto your butt, leaning against the metal wall behind you. Your wound throbbed as you sat there, blinking away the sleep that pulled you away from reality. It was hard to ignore the redness starting to stain the white snow beneath you, hard to ignore your weapon falling out of your grip…

But it was harder to ignore the bright pink hair in front of you, the soft Russian in your ear…

Staying awake was the hardest.

* * *

 

There was a soft, repetitive beeping next to you, an annoying, but familiar noise that poked and prodded at you as you dreamed. You dreamed of roaming through the forests of Russia, the air crisp and clean as snow coated the green of pine trees. Bears followed you wherever you went, some kind and some angry, hungry. 

But when the ones who wished harm came too close, a flash of pink appeared, and they were gone, lost to the snow and silence.

Finally, though, your journey in the cold ended as you blinked away the sleep in your eyes, revealing a bright, white ceiling above you. You frowned, making the astute observation that the sky was not white, but in fact blue. And the wind did not sound like beeps and-

You groaned softly as sleep finally released its grip on you, setting you free from its long fingers and gentle touch. No, now reality held you, not nearly as gentle but gentle enough as you looked around. To your left, there was merely medical supplies and a number of screens on the wall. You noted your heartbeat, noted the little things before looking to your right.

And there she was...that flash of brilliant pink.  But now, those bright blue eyes were closed, chest rising and falling with sleep. You smiled at the peaceful look on Zarya’s face, reaching forward desperately. 

Your fingers grazed her knee, a touch soft but hard enough to stir her. “ любовник ?” she murmured in her native language, eyes fluttering open. Her eyes went from your fingers, up your arm and finally, on your face. The expression she wore changed from drowsy, to electric, light with happiness and relief.

A small grin lifted your lips. “Hey,” you croaked, and Zarya leaned forward in her chair, taking your hand into hers. Your fingers intertwined tightly. “Miss me?” you asked.

Zarya chuckled, lifting your knuckles to her lips. “More than that vodka,” she whispered, and you threw your head back with a laugh, before stopping, a question on your mind. Zarya stopped and looked at you, noticing your expression. “What is on your mind?” she asked you, leaning forward with your hand in hers.

“ любовник?” you asked, prononciation horribly. But Zarya did not get offended, no. She laughed softly, and you blushed before going on with your question. “What does that mean?  _ Little human?”  _ you teased, and she shook her head, leaning forward close to you.

“It means…” she pressed a soft kiss to your lips, before pulling away and softly murmuring, “lover.”

You couldn’t help the giggle from your lips as you leaned your forehead against hers, running your hand through her pink hair. “I like the sound of that,” you told her, and she pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“Me too.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> hey i hope you all enjoyed this! ive never written zarya before, but she was really fun!  
> if you enjoyed this, leave kudos!  
> and comment your thoughts!  
> thanks so much for reading, and have a great day/night~!  
> <3 <3 <3


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